My Top Three Priorities for District 94:

My top three priorities are hurricane protection, infrastructure development, and insurance reform. 

The first responsibility of government is to protect the lives of its citizens.  In New Orleans and South Louisiana, this means the continued development and maintenance of a structurally-sound levee system, the support of coastal restoration initiatives, and establishing energy-efficient policies that fight climate change.

Those who have returned to District 94 despite the difficulties of the Katrina aftermath deserve to live in a community that is constantly moving forward.  The basic, everyday requirements of roads, healthcare access, public schools, green spaces, and thriving local businesses are central to our recovery.  Two years after Katrina, blighted property is still a problem, one that must be addressed in order to ensure the continued rebuilding and growth of our community.

Finally, current insurance rates are preventing our citizens from returning home.  Insurance must be affordable, and there must be policyholder protections ensuring that we get what we pay for.

Hurricane Protection

·        The legislature must provide oversight to ensure that steps taken by the Army Corp of Engineers and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will be monitored by a public and open process as those two entities work together to rebuild our hurricane protection.

·        We can establish Louisiana’s leadership against climate change by using efficient energy management in state government buildings, state vehicles, and Recovery School District facilities.  We can also establish tax incentives for those who rebuild in accord with nationally recognized green building standards.

·        I will also support coastal restoration initiatives to restore our wetlands, including the replanting of cypress trees, closing the MRGO, and land-building projects such as dedicated dredging and pipeline slurry. 

·        We also must continue monitoring the Road Home program to speed the remaining grants and to address the overlooked needs of District 94. 

Infrastructure

·        Address the problem of blight and give residents first option on purchasing neighboring properties

·        Strengthen neighborhood watches and develop community policing with state and municipal support

·        Stabilize our historic Lakefront area as a permanent public green space, replant our devastated tree canopy, and support the Lafitte Corridor and the City Park Master Plan 2018

·        Fund the development of additional primary care facilities and the establishment of a world-class medical facility in downtown New Orleans

·        Support our locally owned small businesses with special incentives, in addition to those given to larger corporations and film productions, and support Broadway South as a new source of cultural and economic growth.

Insurance Reform

·        Our State Legislature can begin the process of creating a regional Disaster Relief Insurance Program.

·        Establish tax credits for homeowners to offset the increases in insurance premiums.

·        Instate a Zero Loophole Loyalty Clause that only allows cancellation in cases of nonpayment or fraud, and mandate that contracts be written in plain language. 

·     Criminalize insurer bad faith and fraudulent conduct to protect policyholders from mistreatment when claims are filed.

other issues for our recovery

(In alphabetical order)

Crime 

Solving the problem of crime in New Orleans is a three-fold issue.  First, we must address the inadequacies of the criminal justice system that is overburdened and plagued by corruption.  Second, we must confront the pervasive and concentrated poverty that creates and perpetuates a criminal environment.  Third, we can reform our public schools to train our city’s youth for careers and higher education.     

As we pursue these larger reforms, we can begin with several immediate measures:

·        Keeping our Louisiana National Guard in New Orleans

·        Reinstating the COPS program that successfully lowered crime in the past.

·        Supporting the Neighborhood Watch programs that are proven crime deterrents. 

·        Raising the minimum wage to encourage employment

·        Establishing after school programs to keep kids off the streets

Economic Development

·        Help our locally-owned small businesses return to stay by creating additional tax incentives

·        Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit

·        Create the nation’s first “e-state” by making free wireless broadband internet access available to everyone

·        Fund the Port of New Orleans as a major economic generator and a key site to be protected as part of Homeland Security

Education Reform

·        Increase access to high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for all four-year-olds, with coordination among public schools, Head Start, and child care providers through a single, coordinated system.

·        Continue to support our charter schools, with emphasis on specialized programs and arts in education programs. 

·        Expand dual enrollment, articulation, and Industry-Based Certification to decrease the drop-out rate and prepare students for careers and college.

The Environment

Energy efficient development is both fiscally advantageous and critical for our survival.  We must build a New Orleans for the twenty-first century.  Louisiana has the opportunity to establish leadership in the new major energy industries, and the State Legislature can easily take the lead in this area. 

To build a sustainable New Orleans, the State Legislature can: 

·        Set the example in state government by cleaning up damaged state properties

·        Establish efficient energy management practices in state buildings, in the state’s fleet of vehicles, and in the Recovery School District buildings in New Orleans

·        Create incentives for those who rebuild in accordance with recognized local green building initiatives

·        Expand the existing solar incentives to include geothermal energy

Ethics

Our existing laws must be strengthened significantly to combat Louisiana’s long-standing reputation and history as publicly corrupt.  

Right now, in the Legislature, we can:

·        Require financial disclosure for all legislators, statewide elected officials, and recipients of state contracts

·        Enhance lobbyist regulation, including lobbyist registration and full disclosure of itemized expenses

·        Increase transparency in the allocation of state funding for local projects

·        Develop resources for prevention and enforcement by the independent ethics board.

Healthcare

The health care crisis is not unique to Louisiana – it is a national problem.  Private hospitals across the country are straining under an influx of uninsured patients, resulting from the shutdowns of public systems.  As insurance companies have consolidated in recent years, smaller hospitals struggle, while larger facilities with greater bargaining power receive more favorable rates.  The result of this national crisis is a private hospital system that is unable to handle the needs of a large community without the existence of a robust public system.

We can begin by raising eligibility limits of Medicaid to include 100,000 new uninsured adults.

In New Orleans, we need a strong medical complex that services all sectors of the community.  If state funds are diluted by being distributed among many smaller, private facilities, I have serious concerns that state-of-the-art excellence can be achieved for a metropolitan area such as New Orleans requires.

The Road Home

·       Bring over $430 million to District 94 by expediting 5,971 Road Home applications

·        Implement a pilot Lot Next Door program

·        Dedicate funds for elevation grants for those building higher

·        Address those needs overlooked by the Road Home Program  (including renters needs) 

·        Provide oversight to ensure that properties are developed in accordance with the months of planning created by the neighborhoods.

Workforce Training

·        Redesign our system for workforce development, empowering the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to meet the sector-based demand, respond to urgent employer-specific needs, and deliver the workforce training that can revitalize our economy. 

·        Establish industry-specific Centers for Excellence as consolidated information clearing houses in high-demand and recovery-based fields that establish standards and methods for curriculum development and workforce training, specifically including teacher training and certification.